Although wasn’t that bed part of the fantasy?
But Tasnim was ruthless.
‘Of course we can’t go home,’ she said. ‘We need to go over to the palace and get you some jewellery. Ghazi won’t want people thinking he’s too mean to give you jewellery and until he’s got time to buy you some, there’s a ton of stuff over there. Some of it’s a bit old-fashioned, which is why we sisters all insisted our husbands bought us more—but we all got plenty of the family stuff in our bridal chests.’
Marni stopped outside the boutique to study the woman who’d taken over her life.
‘Aren’t pregnant women supposed to get tired and to need a lot of rest?’ she demanded.
‘Oh, phooey,’ Tasnim replied. ‘You sound like my mother. I’ll rest later!’
So, to the palace they went, Marni regretting she hadn’t stayed in one of her new outfits in case they ran into Ghazi, but that was stupid, wasn’t it?
Once at the palace, Tasnim summoned Mazur and must have explained what they wanted for he led them through more tortuous passages, finally unlocking what looked like, but couldn’t possibly have been, a solid gold door. Pulling a huge, old-fashioned key from beneath his kandora, he unlocked the door, pressed numbers on a very modern-looking security system pad, then turned on a light to reveal an Aladdin’s cave of riches.
‘Oh!’
Marni breathed the word, unable to believe that a picture from a childhood book could be springing to life in front of her. Yes, there were neat chests with little drawers in them, and glass cabinets with displays of stunning jewellery, but there were also open chests and large jars from which spilled what looked like all the treasures of the world.
‘The children like to play with the chests and jars,’ Mazur explained in a very disapproving voice. He was retrieving a long string of pearls from the floor as he spoke, and examining them for damage.
‘But I couldn’t possibly wear any of this kind of jewellery,’ Marni protested. ‘I’d look ridiculous!’
‘So start simple,’ the indomitable Tasnim told her. ‘Take those pearls, for instance. They will go beautifully with that tunic you really like. Mazur, a bracelet or bangle to go with them and a ring, of course.’
Mazur poked through drawers, finally emerging with a bracelet that had six rows of pearls on gold wire and fastened with a gold catch.
‘Perfect!’ Tasnim declared. ‘And now a ring.’
The ring he produced had a pearl the size of Tasmania, and Marni refused to even consider it, although a smaller ring, set with rows of seed pearls that went well with the bracelet, won her heart.
‘Now that’s enough,’ she told Tasnim, but the woman was unstoppable. Ignoring Marni completely, she pulled out necklaces, bracelets and rings with stones that looked like emeralds and rubies. Studied them, then declared, ‘No, we’ll stick to sapphires because of your eyes, but now I am tired. Mazur, could you put together some sapphire sets and send them to my house?’
Mazur nodded, and followed the two of them out of the treasure trove, locking the door behind him before walking them out to the car. The driver held the door for Tasnim, while Mazur did the same for Marni, murmuring, as she slid past him, ‘I am very happy for you and Prince Ghazi.’ Marni sensed the kindly man actually meant it and immediately felt depressed.
She hadn’t realised just how much she would hate deceiving people—maybe not people generally, but nice people like Mazur.
Fortunately Tasnim seemed to have finally run out of steam so the drive back to her home was quiet.
‘I will rest now,’ she said, ‘but the driver will take you wherever you wish to go, or you can ask Shara for anything you need if you decide to stay in your room. The boutique will package up all we’ve bought and send it here, probably by later today, so you can choose what you want to wear to dinner tonight.’
‘Dinner tonight?’ Marni queried.
Tasnim smiled.
‘Did I not tell you? Ghazi phoned to say he would pick you up at seven to take you out to dinner. It will be to somewhere special so—no, I won’t let you decide. I’ll come to your room later and we’ll decide together what you will wear. Remember, this will be your first public appearance and although as yet your betrothal is not known, people will notice you and begin to talk.’
Marni’s stomach knotted at the thought, but she had agreed and she’d gone along with the purchase of all the new clothes so she couldn’t deny being aware that they would be needed.
‘Okay,’ she said, letting the word escape in a sigh.
But underneath her trepidation a bud of excitement began to unfurl.